Each spring, the Orthodox Church celebrates a number of large holidays that are of particular importance for believers. The first spring holiday is the Day of Saint Evdokia, which in a new calendar falls on March 14, and earlier it was met on March 1.
I heard this girl's story as a child from my grandmother, who was a deeply believer man. She always followed the traditions of this day and believed it to sign. In addition, she told why this holiday is important for women and that they must be done. About this secret and features of the celebration of March 14, I will tell you in this article.
History of Holy Martyrs
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According to church legends, Evdokia lived in orupol and was among the richest people, but it was not distinguished by his state. The girl was endowed with an extraordinary beauty, from which all young men and men lost their head. In his youth, she was a harlot and led a far from righteous life, but still she was able to arrange when he met Herman - the minister of the Christian monastery. Thanks to him, the girl realized that she had been going wrong, and decided to devote her life to serving God.
After repentance, Evdokia went to the women's monastery, where she lived to the very death. In the walls of the sacred temple, she never stumbled and did not come down from the right path, for which he was appointed mentoring for other nuns. In addition, the girl saw the prophetic dreams, and the prayers pronounced from her mouth acquired an incredible force. Reverend Evdokia loved and revered both in the monastery and beyond, but also she had enemies, among whom Emperor Vincent, hated Christianity. It was by his order that a nun was killed at the age of 56.
Folk tales
In the people of Saint Evdokia, or, as it is also called, weans, marks the arrival of spring. According to the old calendar, he was celebrated on March 1, and in the new one - March 14. People believed that the Great Martyr received special keys from the Spring from the Lord and had the right to decide whether warming and nature would come off from the winter hibernation.
It is believed that it was on the day of St. Eudocia, March 14, spring acquires full rights. Before this date, field work cannot be started, because It can scatter the Great Martyr, and instead of warm, sunny days will come frost. People believed that further weather would largely depend on how the feast of the day was held. They paid attention to the behavior of the plates, the presence of wind and the sun. In addition, there are a number of traditions, the observance of which gave the population rich yields, well-being in the house and happiness in the family.
Standard traditions
Holy Evdokia 14 March was met with a fun and solemn celebration. On this day, the guys arranged, various rites were held, prayed for their health and agricultural work began. Many traditions to this day are observed in the villages, and here are some of them:
- In order to reign in the house, the hostess from the morning was taken oven cookies in the form of larks. Young girls and children walked with this delicacy in the yards, sang a call of spring and praised the beginning of the spring.
- For well-being in the family, it was necessary to throw a handful of land towards flying swallows, which at this time returned from warm edges. At the same time, they uttered words: "On you, swallow, on the nest". And so that the family does not help, this bird must be fed by bread.
- To heal from the ailments, on the feast of Saint Evdokia, it was customary to wash with melt water, which was obtained from snow collected on the eve. During the ritual, people prayed the Great Martyr and asked good health.
- Women believed that accelerate the arrival of spring and the offensive of warm days can be inciting firefire ovens, which were collected in the forest in the early morning on the day of the day.
- Also in this holiday, women got rid of the negative and asked for the Holy Great Martyer of Happiness. To do this, before sunrise, they took the mirror and expressed everything bad that had accumulated in their soul, we cried and complained about their destiny, after which they wrapped in dark fabric, broke and drove away from home.
- For a rich crop on this day, the church was shredied by the wheat grain, which were sitting in the first place. Also in the pots sowed seedlings, because it was believed that frosts would not harm her.
- The gardeners were cut off dry branches of fruit trees so that they were well fruitful in the current year and they could not overcome diseases or pests.
The biggest sin on the aflook was to destroy the nest of the swallows. People believed that on someone who dare to harm these birds on a festive day, misfortunes would be collapsed.
Folk signs
People believed in the signs of the Day of St. Eudocia, on which they defined what spring and summer weather, yield and health of livestock. Some of them reached today's days:
- Sunny weather on holiday Jersey - to early, warm spring, as well as to hot summer and good crop;
- Frost and blizzard foreshadowed cold weather until the end of the year;
- thick fog or rain on March 14 - to a rich crop of bread and legumes;
- a small warm breeze - to cold, rainy fly;
- freezers can be expected if the chickens drink to the water;
- The flood foreshadows a domestic health, as well as a lot of herbs on the meadows;
- Hear a loud ronyy kink - to the fast warming;
- The grass will appear late if the river on the day of Evdokia does not appear;
- Ringing droplets promises hot summer;
- If a whistling whistle is heard, it will warm up soon.
Many challenges to this day help farmers correctly choose the day for the start of agricultural work and grow rich yields.